Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 25 November 2025

Select Committee on Children and Equality

Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 40 - Children and Equality (Supplementary)

2:00 am

Photo of Keira KeoghKeira Keogh (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I will take my seven minutes and I think we will have time for a brief second round. Deputy Kerrane has already indicated. Members can be thinking about their questions.

I am very disappointed, as I am sure the Minister is, by the underspend of €67.8 million on the legacy of the mother and baby institutions. We will have the review in September 2026. We should do all we can to step it up further and ensure anybody who is entitled to compensation gets it. I echo Deputy Kerrane's comments about the people who feel they should be in the scheme but are not in it. In the review, could that please be looked at? I know of survivors who were not in institutions but were in State care around that time and who feel they should be in that scheme. If there is an underspend, it is important to look at who we have left behind.

My next question is around the underspend on AIM. The Minister mentioned the extension of hours was potentially a factor there. Was there any underspend related to recruitment issues for AIM?

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